Delayed and damaged baggage

To display information about your delayed bag, please enter your 10-character Property Irregularity Report (PIR) reference number and last name and click Submit.

PIR number

Last name

What to do if your baggage is delayed

If you can’t find your baggage at the airport terminal, the first step is to go to the baggage services desk. You can normally find the desk in the Arrivals hall near to the baggage claim area.

When you’re there, you will need to fill out a report. This report will have a unique reference number, which helps us to trace your baggage as quickly and efficiently as possible. The more information you can give us about your baggage – the colour, make, identifying marks and more – the better.

We’ll give you a number you can call to track your baggage. Or enter your reference number into our online baggage tracker above. You can also change your address and contact details if you’re on the move and you want us to deliver your baggage to a different address.

Once you’ve completed the report, you don’t need to do anything else at the moment. We’re working hard to reunite you with your bags and will be in touch when we find them.

If you left the airport without filling in a report, please call us at your local Emirates office as soon as possible.

If you haven’t heard from us in three days

We do everything we can to reunite you with your baggage. But if you haven’t heard from us within three days, you will need to fill in a Baggage Inventory form. We’ll give you this form when you report your delayed bags, or if you've already left the airport, please contact us and we’ll email the form to you.

Send the completed inventory to the email address on the form, along with these documents:

your completed Baggage Inventory form

a copy of your passport or other photo ID

copies of receipts for any clothes you’ve bought as a result of your baggage being delayed, if you have them. Or the receipts for any items in the bag (such as a receipt for a wedding dress)

At this stage we recommend you register a claim on your travel insurance to cover the loss of your bags.

Once we’ve found your bags and they’ve been approved by customs, we’ll be in touch immediately to arrange a delivery time.

What to do if your baggage arrives damaged

If your baggage arrives damaged, we’ll help you at the airport’s baggage services office. They will ask you to fill in a report.

If you leave the airport without making a claim and find your baggage is damaged when you arrive at your destination, report it to us at your nearest Emirates office. If you’re in Dubai, you can call +971 4 214 4433.

If items are missing from your baggage

Follow the same process above if you find items missing from your bags.

If you’re on a flight out of the USA, the Transport Security Administration (TSA) may have removed items from your bag deemed to be contraband or dangerous. You can register a claim with the TSA to check whether this has happened.

Lost items or items left on board our flights

Arriving at Dubai International airport

If you’ve arrived in Dubai and your belongings are missing or you’ve left anything on board, please report it to the airport information desk. Or you can find the nearest member of our team, who will help you to find your belongings.

Please get in touch with us at your nearest Emirates office if you’ve left bags or other items on board, or if any of your belongings are missing. We’ll give you the number of the local authority and will work with them to help you find your belongings.

Checked baggage tips

Many bags look alike, so it’s important to avoid anyone picking up your bags by mistake. Make your baggage stand out by personalising it with tags, stickers or ribbons.

Always tie an identification tag to each checked item with your name, address and contact details. We can give you a tag at the check-in counter if you don’t already have one.

We recommend you don’t leave valuables in your checked-in bags. That could include jewellery, computers and electronic devices, keys, important documents (including passports) and medication or medical equipment that can’t be replaced quickly.

Please also make sure your baggage is sufficiently robust, well packed and secured. It will need to withstand the normal rigours of air travel without getting damaged.